[News] Cassandra's Curios' Conflagration

It seems all remnants of the past are slowly fading away to be lost in time and memory.
The Britain Council murdered
Clainin slain by Shadowlords..
The stories of the past come to an end in order to pave the way for the new stories that are now coming to light!

People may recall Cassandra Aion the Meer, Ambassador to the Royal Council from Lakeshire. She accompanied us on many a quest and graced us with her allegience and her presence. She had a small house built in Haven as her place of residence.

The last newsworthy activity at the house was when the terathans invaded the place and added cobwebs throughout as well as stealing the Shadow items that used to be in the display cases. Marcel turned them for his own purposes, leading to the quest that people completed for the Terathan Recruit Pack (containing Arachnid Libram and Minion of Surano robe). I am happy to post more about that past events if people would like.. many of the archives are limited unfortunately and the pictures lost to time.

For today, however, we gathered at the Castle Barracks in response to Viktor's call. He and Ellis, having arranged for someone to watch the Castle and their affairs while they were off investigating the latest crisis, informed us there was trouble at Cassandra's Curio's in Old Haven.

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"We've received reports about a disturbance in Old Haven. It is quite serious..The town itself is little more than a ruin. This is why Captain Cotume summoned you. Citizens reported seeing great plumes of smoke twisting into the heavens."

Ellis instructed us to spread out and report back to them whatever we find.

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It was not long before the disturbance brought us to what remained of Cassandra's old house. It had been burnt to the ground with only rubble remaining. The area was infested with brigands which the Royal Guard made quick work of.

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The gate the terathans used to reach Haven was found partially collapsed. The terathan seer who wandered near the gate was nowhere to be seen. There were also several remnants of items that appeared to be from Cassandra's shop. They formed a trail which the Royal Guards and Captains were quick to follow. Guards reported that the Terathan Seer was up on the North coast. It seems he ran when the brigands invaded!

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"Have you questioned this... creature?" Viktor asked warily. It seems the friendly terathan took him aback slightly. I guess there were very few who actually spoke with humans, even in the past when they served Marcel Surano.

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Daniella was the first to approach the quivering terathan. "Seer!"
"Yes? What is it? Why do you bother me? I'm busy."

Boris was the next to ask him. "Busy?"
"That's what I just said, fool. These pirates stole a very dangerous artifact. One of great power I was watching. It is gone now. We are doomed."

Cook asked about pirates next.
"The brigands that sailed in such haste they left shipmates behind."

"Of course... the brigands at the ruins." Viktor agreed.

At this stage, two intrepid guards immediately launched boats! Although as yet we had no idea where we needed to go. Scouting the perimeter, of course.

"Where do you away to in such haste?" Viktor asked. We did not yet know where they went from Haven. Yet if we were to give chase...

"You wish to follow these pirates? How do I know your intentions are honorable?" the seer looked quizzically at the gathered crowd.

"We are honorable," I assured it eagerly.
"I will have to take your word. I chased their leaders to this coastline. Huge terrible men. They strike fear even into powerful seers such as myself. They sailed south. Directly around this coast. I know not what lies that way."

"South we go." Boris agreed.
"Yes. What islands lie south of here? You must hurry. Retrieve the artifact!"

"That's a good question." Boris answered the seer while he and the gathered crowd considered the question.
"I have no idea what's south of new Haven." Cook replied.

"Serpents Hold is kind of south of here." Ellis commented.
"I doubt pirates would get past the knights of Serpent's Hold." Davin Forsosa scoffed at the idea.

"Well... surely they would head for a city. The Hold has been known to shelter pirate scum." Viktor returned. With that, Ellis gated us to Serpents Hold.

​

The guards again spread out to search. Nothing unusual was found within the city itself. The Ophidian Warrior was still wandering near the old Serpent Quest, but the Order Guard seemed to have the city under control. Eventually, the pirates were found to the South of the City on the Island of Serpents Hold.

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The guards rummaged through the remains after disposing of the pirates at the site.

"I FOUND THE ARTIFACT! I FOUND THE ARTIFACT!" chatswood rats claimed, bringing the Captains running.

With this loud assertion, Captain Montague appeared and attacked Ellis! He systematically started to slaughter the gathered guards. He was quite tough to kill.. we struggled with him for a long battle before he finally succumbed. I stood back and assisted the injured as much as I could for the fights. Especially after it was noted that he seemed to be draining the pets of their health and using it himself! A very strange pirate this was indeed. After he was dispatched, our Captains immediately went back to the task at hand.

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"Where is this statue?"
"Aye, who reported finding a statue?" our Captains spoke at once.

"Smash the crates, I want to see this statue!" Ellis cried.

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After a brief interlude (as no one had brought an axe with them), the crates were smashed revealing the Ophidian statue that used to be on Cassie's desk!
"Viktor, this is what they were after!" Ellis cried. "We should collect this and secure it." With that, Viktor bent down and picked up the small statue, then we moved onto the boat to look at the Captain's log.

With a chorus of assent, the guards were happy to follow the Captains to Bald Island to see what we would see, see, see.. *makes a naval salute as she travels through the gate*

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To the South of Bald island, we again found crates and boats with one Captain Johns guarding them. He also targetted Ellis before the rest of us, perhaps noting the air of command about him. He was particularly nasty.. seeming to instantly kill pets and at intervals casting a particularly nasty poison on everyone in the area! There were many deaths in this battle also. I would love to know where these pirates were recruiting their Captains! This one it seems, even managed to steal Paroxysmus' dinner! Someone claimed to find it on his corpse when he was eventually put to rest.

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"Another statue" Ellis commented, once the crates at the site were smashed.

Viktor couldn't take his eyes off the blue genie statue that used to sit in the display case at Cassie's place. "Allow me to collect this artifact and we can head home." he said.

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"What is so important about these statues I wonder?" Ellis pondered, then stepped quickly in front of Viktor as he reached for the statue. "Wait Viktor, you have your hands full. I shall help you with this one"

"I uhh..." Viktor guardedly looked at Ellis.

"No, please don't thank me. It is obviously heavy"

"I am quite capable of..."Viktor frowned at Ellis and returned his gaze hungrily to the statue on the ground.

"Think nothing of it." replied Ellis easily and reached down and plucked the statue almost from the hands of the preoccupied Viktor. He looked like he was about to argue the point, then resigned.

"Very well, you carry it, Ellis...."

"We have to put these in secure holdings until we figure out what the pirates wanted with them. The seer did not do well to keep these pirates from getting it" Ellis said, as he secured the statue in his pack. "I'm sure they are just trivial trinkets, but we cannot be too sure."

"Maybe just send a messenger to let the seer know the items have been recovered for now." Davian Forsosa stated, looking from one to the other.

"They went to a lot of effort to collect them and prevent us from retaking them. If there are no other clues... Ellis started. "Let us return to the barracks." Viktor finished.

"We should get these items back and secured" Ellis repeated. It is clear these items are of great importance. The guards had some other interesting comments..

"How do we know there were only 2?" Cook asked.
"We should take them to the seer." Antalya asserted.
"I only remember the seer mentioning 1 item of great power." Cook mused.

"Through the gate!" Ellis said, forestalling all conversation.

Viktor walked up to Lucy as soon as he arrived. "You truly are a vision, my dear."
"I'm sure she is glad to see you alive Viktor." Daniella returned.

Ellis sighed when he saw this sight and brought him back to the matters at hand. "We have more pressing matters, Viktor."

"Oh... of course. Forgive me old friend." and threw a warm smile at Lucy. Love int he air perhaps?

"Thank you everyone for your help collecting these artifacts." Ellis said to us.
"Our pleasure Captain's." Daniella answered for the crowd.

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"The reward was preventing the artifacts being in the wrong hands." Davian Forsosa asserted. Although there were a few less pleased with this outcome.

"When shall we let the seer know they are found? And find out what they do, or are for?" Antalya wanted to know. I want to know too but they continued..

"We had our lead Forensic Evaluator following in our footsteps. She has determined who landed the killing blows on each of the vile pirate captains. As a token of our appreciation, a small tribute will be erected in the Reward's Hall. Lady point and click, thank you for felling the fiend Montague, and Estrelita, you landed the killing blow on Captain Johns. You all deserve our thanks."

Congratulations to you both!

"Viktor, let us take these artifacts and secure them away. We will give notice to our Guards where they are." Ellis said. He seemed anxious to get the statues away safely.

"Thank you again, citizens." Viktor said to us.
"Citizen? I've got a guard sash that was given to me thank you very much. " Davian Forsosa claimed, obviously slightly put out at his reduction in rank.

"Aye, thank you. We will call upon you again soon, no doubt." Ellis said and the two departed, leaving a few questions unanswered.

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